Sony to allow users to change PlayStation Network ID

Sony has announced that, after twelve years, they will begin allowing users to change their PlayStation Network (PSN) IDs. Unfortunately, this feature is not free: £7.99 is the standard fee but it is £3.99 for those with PlayStation Plus. Luckily, especially for those who have used PSN since the days of the PSP, the first change is free of charge.

On 11 October, Sony announced that they would start testing the feature through a beta as part of the PlayStation Preview Program. They have stated that “the preview program for this feature is scheduled to conclude at the end of November 2018”, whilst a “full rollout for all PS4 users” is “planned for early 2019.”

You can revert back to your original ID for free at any time

However, this change may affect the user experience with older games. Sony has stated that “this feature is compatible with PS4 games originally published after 1 April 2018” which means that some titles released prior will not work with players’ new identifications.

Sony is aware of this problem and has said that “you can revert back to your original ID for free at any time” and that “when this feature officially launches, a list of compatible games published before 1 April 2018 will be provided on playstation.com”.

This means that players can compare the games they play to the list of titles that will work with the new username change feature. Luckily, this makes the username change much less of a gamble. Sony is finally catching up, but given the potential flaws and paywalls, it remains to be seen whether the service has been worth the wait.